You will hear lots of complaints about lawyers charging high legal fees. This discourages many people from hiring a lawyer even when they need to. Lawyers can charge you hundreds of dollars per hour and the longer the case runs for, the more expensive it becomes. Here are the major reasons why they are so expensive.

Operating costs

Running a law firm is very expensive. The law firms incur all the costs just like a normal office, like rent, furniture, wages, etc. Law firms that are located in good location incur more expense as the rent is higher in those places. These costs are passed onto the clients. As the legal profession is very regulated, the law firms have to pay many extra fees besides the business cost of running the firm.

Professional indemnity insurance – This liability insurance is must for all law firms. It can be very expensive and depends on the size of the firm. This insurance protects the clients in case the lawyer makes any mistake. The clients will get compensation in such case.

Practicing certificate fees – Lawyers must renew their practicing certificates every year and it costs thousands of dollars to do so. Without renewing their certificates, they won’t be able to practice.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – The lawyers must finish at least 10 points CPD every year as part of their continuing legal education. They have to attend seminars and courses which are expensive.

The lawyers must always follow these requirements; otherwise, they will lose their rights to practice. Maintaining these requirements is very expensive.

Demanding occupation

Being a lawyer is a very demanding occupation. The top law firms hire good lawyers with high salary. There is always demand for lawyers for various causes like accidents, divorce, financial settlements, etc. Good lawyers are difficult to find.

Law education is expensive

It is very hard to become a good lawyer and not everyone is competent enough to become one. Lawyers have to study very hard to go to a good law school and then obtain the certificates necessary to start practicing in a law firm. Good law schools are expensive and the process of becoming a lawyer is very long. They also need to continue their legal education throughout their lives.

Experience matters

The more experience a lawyer has, the more fees he or she will charge. There are lots of things lawyer learns from experience and so their chances of making mistakes become less. The experienced lawyers have more chance of winning a case than the inexperienced ones.

Now you know that the financial costs of becoming a lawyer and practicing law are high. So, clients are also charged high fees so that the lawyers can continue running their law firms.

Workplace sexual harassment is on the rise. Many people experience it every day. People often don’t speak up against it due to embarrassment or the fear of losing a job. You should know that sexual harassment at workplace is illegal and you should speak up for it. Here are some of the important things you should keep in mind.

1. Don’t quit your job

There are employees who quit job right away. They are embarrassed or scared to go back to work. Every employer should have a published sexual harassment policy. So, you should give your employer a chance to fix the situation. Otherwise, you won’t be able to approach the court if you want to.

2. Look for the policy

You should check the employee handbook, written policies, union contract, etc. to find if there is any sexual harassment policy. If you find it, you should report the incident to the person who is responsible for receiving such complaints.

3. Put it in writing.

You should put your complaint in writing always. You should write in detail about the sexual comments, sexual advances, inappropriate jokes, etc. that you have received. You should make sure it says ‘Formal Complaint of Sexual Harassment’. If you don’t mention the words ‘sexual harassment’, your case won’t be taken seriously. Hostile environment, bullying, etc. are not illegal, but sexual harassment is.

4. Sexual harassment need not be ‘sexual’

Sexual harassment doesn’t only mean sexual comments, groping, etc. If you are treated differently than a male because you are a male or a female then that’s sexual harassment also. If you are given late shifts to work or difficult assignments because you are a female, then that also falls under sexual harassment.

5. You cannot go to court for a single incident

Sexual harassment has to be frequent or severe if you want to take your case to the court. A single incident is not enough for a lawsuit. Things like looking down a blouse, lifting up a skirt, asking for dates, getting phone calls, etc. are not considered as sexual harassment at court.

If you are being sexually harassed in the workplace, you shouldn’t be quiet about it. You should speak up and report it in writing to your employer. You should keep on reporting until a certain action is taken. Leaving the job is the last thing you should do. If you think that it’s hurting your health and emotion severely only then think of quitting the job. You should know your rights and responsibilities so that you can take appropriate action in case of workplace sexual harassment.

Every start-up company must have a lawyer. A good business lawyer will help you in various aspects of your business. It will give you advice on various contracts and dealings you make with other companies. For Here are the major reasons to have a lawyer for your company.

You are not a lawyer, so you won’t know the laws

Most start-up companies are sole proprietorships. In some cases, a group of individuals develops the company. You should decide on the type of legal entity you want your business to be. This decision is important for tax reasons. In cases when other people are involved, it is important to decide who takes the business decisions and how the profit will be distributed. For making such contract you need a lawyer.

Your business is a legal entity

Sole proprietorships, partnerships, or other forms of business are all governed by state laws. The laws can differ from one state to the other. You should know the laws for paying taxes. You should provide various reports to authorities regarding your business from time to time. A lawyer can take care of all these.

Put everything in writing

You should put everything about the company in writing to avoid future disputes between partners or stockholders in the company. You should write down about all the internal workings of your business so that you don’t get into trouble later on. You need a lawyer for this task.

Dealing with copyright and trademark

You should hire a lawyer to deal with the copyright and trademark issues of your business. Copyright and trademark ensure that you are doing a legal business and you won’t get sued by other companies.

Hiring employees

When you hire employees you need to follow various state and federal government regulations. To check for things like immigration, overtime laws, minimum wage, discrimination, compensation laws, etc. you need a lawyer.

A lawyer will protect your company from outside threats or breaking state or federal government regulations. The lawyer can help you keep all your business papers in order and save you from any kind of disputes from within the company or outside. Many people think that they are smart enough to deal with the legal issues themselves. Some even think that they can solve the problems by reading books or some online materials. But the truth is that you won’t have the knowledge a lawyer has. So, it’s very important to have a lawyer for your company.

Divorce is a very unhappy episode of a person’s life. There are lots of emotional turmoils going on. The process is hard on both the spouses. Hiring a divorce lawyer can help in many ways. Here are the top reasons why it is wise to hire a divorce lawyer before getting a divorce.

1. A divorce lawyer can act as a middleman between the couple. They help in communication between the couple. They can understand matters practically. They can help you come to a mutual agreement.

2. The divorce lawyer can help you save a lot of money in the long run. They can get you a fair share of your spouse. If you don’t hire a lawyer, you won’t be able to get what you lawfully deserve. The lawyers are good negotiators and they know the ins and outs of laws regarding divorce.

3. Lawyers who deal with family laws have many years of experience dealing with such cases. They can understand your situation and know what kind of financial benefits you can get out of your divorce.

4. Many people make the mistake of assuming that most assets are divided equally between the partners. This is not true. A good lawyer can find out whether you might receive more portions of the assets in some cases compared to that of your partner.

5. If there are stock options, pensions or retirement funds involved, then these assets are for the future and hard to be calculated. The lawyer will be able to make the right calculations and record the amount in your divorce file so that you don’t face any trouble in future while collecting this money.

6. When children are involved in a marriage, the process of divorce gets much complicated. The couple faces emotional disturbance as none of them wants to move away from the children. A lawyer can decide who can have the custody of the children.

Handling a divorce case on your own will be a wrong move to make. There are many things that happen in a divorce trial and it can affect you financially and mentally. A lawyer is a knowledgeable person; he or she will be able to process the matter faster and will work in support of you so that you get the best settlement possible. Many people only think about the upfront high fees of the lawyer, without thinking about the long-term benefits. Don’t make such mistake. So, hire a lawyer if you are thinking of divorce.

Personal injury lawyers can be helpful whenever you have an accident of any kind. If the accident takes place because of other people’s fault or negligence, then the personal injury lawyer will help you to get compensation for your injury. Now all personal injury lawyers are good at their work. There are lawyers who make false promises and cannot give you the compensation you deserve. The first thing you should do is to look out for a lawyer who specializes in personal injury. The personal injury section is very complicated and you need to hire a lawyer who deals with such cases regularly and has huge experience in this field. Here are the top qualities you should look for in a personal injury lawyer.

Knowledge about the particular medical condition

First of all, you should choose someone who specializes in personal injury. At the same time, you should choose someone who has knowledge on the particular medicine that is involved in your case. The person must have experience in dealing with the similar type of injuries.

Willingness to go to a trial

You must choose someone who doesn’t hesitate to go to a trial. The insurance company knows the lawyers in your area who are willing to go to a trial and who are not. Your insurance company will pay more money to settle the case without going to the court if they know that the lawyer might take the case to the court. So, you have a chance of getting paid more by the insurance company.

Financially sound

You should make sure that your lawyer is financially sound to pay money for running the case. There are situations when the personal injury lawyer might have to pay a lot of money to the experts in order to prove a case. They get their money back after the compensation has been claimed.This is especially true for the ‘no win no fee’ lawyers.

Adequate staffs available in office

You need to find out about the office set up of the lawyer and the way it functions. You should find out who will be working on your case, who is in charge of negotiating the case with the insurance company, how much time the lawyer will spend on your case, etc. You should hire someone who has adequate staffs to take care of a complicated personal injury case.

Has licence

Ensure that the lawyer you hire is licensed in the state your case is filed. The insurance company has all the information about lawyers who are licensed and who are not. You will have difficulty in negotiating cases if you hire a lawyer without a proper license.

Competent and good communicator

Your lawyer must be competent. He or she must have extensive knowledge on the field and many years of experience. The lawyer you choose should have a track record of winning many similar cases. At the same time, you should hire someone you are comfortable communicating with. You should be able to discuss your situation openly with the lawyer and get regular feedback about the case from the lawyer. You should be able to reach the lawyer whenever you need him or her.

You should look for these qualities in a lawyer before hiring them. These lawyers will be able to get good compensation from the insurance companies or the parties involved in the accident.

Traffic law is something you must be aware of to drive safely on the road every day. Knowing the traffic law well can save you from getting unnecessary tickets that can cost you hundreds of dollars. However, many people have certain misconceptions about the traffic laws. Here are some myths that you should know about.

Myth #1: If the officer doesn’t show up on court, then your ticket is dropped

This is a common myth about traffic law which is not true. An officer may be busy with other important tasks and may not show up on the court that day. But it doesn’t excuse you from paying the penalty. In some states, the officer need not show up to the initial hearing, unless you appeal the initial hearing. There are some states in which the case may be rescheduled if the officer doesn’t show up on a particular date.

Myth#2: Not signing a ticket or other simple mistakes can save you from penalty

You should sign your ticket. The sign shows that you have received the ticket, but it doesn’t say that you are admitting your guilt. People often assume that if you don’t sign the ticket then you can claim that you have never received the ticket. But there is actually no way of escaping it, as the officers have a lot of evidence regarding the ticket. Any simple clerical mistakes made on the ticket will be overlooked by the judges. So, for example, the spelling of your name being wrong, or the mistake in your license plate number, etc. won’t change anything.

Myth#3: Flow of traffic and passing are good excuses for speeding

Your excuse of going with the flow of traffic is not valid. Driving too slow can be dangerous. Even if you only briefly pass a car that was going too slow won’t stand as an excuse.You shouldn’t exceed the speed limit at any circumstance.

Myth#4: Traffic tickets won’t get transferred to other states

In most states, you cannot escape your traffic tickets just because you have moved to a different state. So, if you get a ticket in one state and now live in another state, your ticket will be transferred and you still have to pay the penalty. If you ignore your ticket, it may lead to the suspension of your license or other severe punishments.

Myth#5: It is not legal to drive without your shoes on

It is simply a misconception. There is no such law that you can’t drive barefoot. So, if you feel comfortable driving without your shoes on, you can do so without getting any ticket.

These myths often get you into trouble for no reason. You now know what is true and what is not. So, drive responsibly so that you don’t get any ticket for violating traffic laws.

If you want to get patents for your inventions then you should hire a lawyer. But patent lawyers can be expensive. Here are some tips on hiring a patent lawyer without spending a fortune.

Use referrals

By getting referrals, you will be able to get the right person for the job. You can read the other patents in your product category and contact the authors for referrals. It is good to find a lawyer who knows about your technology. You need to hire a good patent attorney who has the knowledge and expertise to complete the job.

Don’t worry about physical location

The location is no barrier when it comes to hiring a patent attorney. Those practicing in the major cities are expensive as there will be higher overheads. So, if you hire a patent attorney from a smaller city, you will be able to save a lot of money.

Weigh between hiring a large firm versus an independent practitioner

The large law firms provide a wide range of services like copyrights, trademarks, etc. They have very experienced lawyers in their team. But they are expensive. Also, the senior attorney often passes the case to the juniors and doesn’t get involved with the case directly. The independent patent attorneys, on the other hand, are less expensive and will work on your case directly. But the patent law is very specialized. An independent attorney will not be expert in everything. So, you might have to depend on more than one attorney for your work. You should hire someone who has worked on similar cases.

You should provide the attorney with as much information as possible

You should know about your invention in detail so that you can explain it to the attorney. You should go through the other patents similar to that of yours and is how your invention is different than those. You should explain all these to the attorney. This will save time on the case.

Get everything in writing

You should know how the patent attorney bills the clients. You must know whether they charge by the hours or on the basis of work done. You should compare the rates of a number of attorneys before hiring one. After you hire the attorney, you should keep a copy of the bills and go through them line by line to see if there is any mistake or if the attorney has overcharged you.

Educate yourself

You should know about the legal process so that you are not overcharged at any stage. You should know what type of questions to ask your attorney so that the number of hours of consultation is less. That way, your bill will be low.

You should be able to trust your attorney. You should set particular boundaries and discuss your expectations. You should be able to work comfortably with the attorney to get your job done.

Every once and a while, we find ourselves in a situation that requires legal activities and operations. Unfortunately, not all of us went to law schools. And we are forced to look for help with our legal needs. Business owners are particularly in need of reliable legal guidance. And the future of their enterprise often relies on the quality of the law firm that handles all legal matters for the company.

However, individuals are also very often in need of legal advice. And they hire companies to be their legal representative in court.

– How Important Is A Good Lawyer

An efficient and capable attorney usually has enough knowledge and experience to solve half of his cases in a routine manner, without investing too much effort. Of course, these lawyers charge a hefty fee for their services, but every hour that they bill is worth it in the long run.

If you own a company or business of some sort, legal guidance and advice is the prerequisite for a fruitful and long-lasting presence in the market. Business owners who know their way around the law are rare. And even if they happen to have a university degree – they would still be unable to practice law due to the lack of free time.

That is why it is crucial to hire a high-quality law firm or an independent attorney. And clients should always look for companies that put customer satisfaction as their priority.

A dedicated and enthusiastic approach to practicing law can make all the difference. And every client wants to hire a law firm with these characteristics.

– The Benefits Of A Professional Attitude

If a lawyer behaves in a professional and reliable manner, respecting the needs of his client. The cooperation can be a pleasant experience for both parties. Furthermore, such relations can improve productivity. And since more information will be shared.

This can even increase the odds of landing a favorable verdict in the case. The success of the lawsuit or litigation is the most important thing in this matter, and only by having an experienced and dedicated lawyer by your side can you hope of winning the dispute.

As we all know, the law is an enormous area, and millions of law firms operate in the current market. They provide all sorts of services, and that is why clients sometimes can have difficulties selecting the perfect law firm for their needs. However, it is vital to perform the right choice, and this can significantly affect your business results or your life as an individual.

Some law firms offer their services exclusively to private individuals while others deal with public companies and government organizations. Besides them, the most common type of law firms are the ones who deal with cases of emerging enterprises or multinational corporations. In other words, corporate law is a highly profitable and promising area, and this sector is still growing.

– How To Find The Right Firm

Finding the right lawyer for your case can make all the difference between losing or winning the case in question. That is why you should pay as much attention as possible to find the appropriate law firm, and only by doing so – your dispute, claim or class action lawsuit will have strong odds of being successful in the end.

Referrals and recommendations are the best way to find good and reliable attorneys and your friends and family can be an excellent source of verified information. Once you collect a couple of potential candidates, you should check their licenses and schedule an interview. During the conversation, observe the behavior of the lawyer and ask as many questions as you may need. The more misunderstandings you clear out during the first session – the stronger you case will be, and you will probably pay less money.

– Various Areas Of Law

Over the years, the law has expanded into many areas of human activity, covering almost all of our interactions and operations. Consequently, the companies that provide legal guidance and counsel are also spreading their range of services, and modern-day law firms are offering legal assistance in a wide range of sectors.

From personal injury law and human rights law to insurance law and law of agency – they cover everything, and clients only have to pick the company that best suits their tastes and preferences.

Law firms come in all shapes and sizes, and it is sometimes hard to decide which one is the best for your current needs. The wide range of possibilities can be overwhelming and even confusing. But if you want to end your dispute or your legal claim with success. It is imperative to make the right choice and hire a good law firm.

Since they offer various services, some of these enterprises are versatile and flexible while others are more focused on a particular area of law. Both of these options can be a good solution. And everything depends on the client’s needs and preferences.

– Choosing A Licensed Lawyer

The first step on the road to finding the perfect legal representative is getting recommendations and referrals from your social circle. i.e. your friends, colleagues, family, and so on. They should be the source of reliable and unbiased information. And you should be able to rely on their insights about a particular attorney or a law firm.

However, the “job” is far from over, and after you create a list with a couple of potential candidates. You must verify their credibility. By checking their licenses and certificates, you can verify if a lawyer is performing a legitimate business. And if he or she has the necessary education.

– The Importance Of The Interview

Just like it is in any other line of business, the importance of personal contact and eye-to-eye communication is immense in the process of hiring the perfect lawyer as well. An interview is your chance to get acquainted with the attorney and to verify all the information you gathered about them. For instance, you can ask them about their education and their college degree, their licenses, specialization, and so on. Furthermore, the interview is the perfect opportunity for you to get an estimate of lawyer’s abilities and characteristics.

Hiring a reliable and professional lawyer is an important step. And that is why clients should always pay attention to lawyer’s body language and behavior during the interview. Every confident and experienced attorney will look you in the eyes. He will not make unnecessary movements or gestures, and, most importantly. He or she will listen carefully to your problem and start offering solutions immediately.